Schlafly Oktoberfest | The Schlafly Tap Room

0 characters.
We love reviews! Turn your rating into one with ≥ 150 characters. Awesome. Thanks for the review!

In English, explain why you're giving this rating. Your review must discuss the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) and your overall impression in order to indicate that you have legitimately tried the beer. Nonconstructive reviews may be removed without notice and action may be taken on your account.

Notes / Commercial Description:
Our Oktoberfest is a traditional Bavarian Märzen with a toasty malt aroma and slight caramel taste. This rich, amber lager is balanced by the use of German noble hops, while the lager yeast ferments cold and slow, creating a smooth, crisp beer.

Märzen, or Oktoberfest, has its origins in Bavaria, most likely before the 16th century. For public safety and brewing quality concerns, the Bavarian Brauordnung was decreed in 1539, stating that beer could only be brewed from September 29th (Saint Michael) to April 23rd (Saint George). Over the summer months, beers were stored, or lagered, in caves and stone cellars. The evolution of Oktoberfest came from the last brews of the year, in March (or Märzen), as these beers would be ready to drink for the Bavarian celebration, “Oktoberfest”.

Reviews by udubdawg:

Digging the aroma. There's some toasty aspects, definitely smells of some munich and Vienna malts. I wouldn't call the aroma rich or powerful but it is malt-forward and improves as it warms. No diacetyl or esters noted, some alcohol as it warms. Hints of sweet but mostly clean malt with faint mineral background. There's a bit of out-of-place hop aroma here, but it doesn't detract.

dull orange/gold color, not vibrant but quite clear, topped by very light tan head with excellent retention. Good looking beer.

some issues here in the flavor. When cold the most glaring is the balance, which is surprisingly towards hops. As it warms the malt comes out somewhat but hop flavor is surprisingly high. Would like to see a little more toasty malt and not so much one-sided sugary sweetness. At least there's no overt caramel. Alcohol flavor is noticeable but fairly well integrated, not at all "hot" perception of bitterness is increased slightly by the alcohol, and is moderate. The bitterness does appear to help balance the sweetness. When the beer is REALLY warm the balance is where it should be, and normally I'd expect it to be sweet and dominated by malt at this temp. Even when warm it is clean, no esters or off characters.

body is on the light side of medium, while carb is on the high side of medium. Low warming is OK, no astringency or significant flaws. would like to see a slightly cleaner, drier finish/aftertaste to improve drinkability even more.

In terms of what I want to drink in an o-fest, this is right on the money. But in terms of what the style emphasizes, the balance is off to my palate. I think it's a very good beer. I think it's just a "good" Oktoberfest. Great drinkability.

A - Pours a glistening golden copper into the glass. A four-finger head of egg-cream white, dense pillowy foam slowly collapses, leaving patches along the sides of the glass. Eventually, the beer is left with a solid layer of lace across the surface. Held to a full-spectrum light, the beer is a vibrant apricot orange and rather cloudy, with a swirl of suspended trub floating in the middle.

S - Rich notes of toasted malts and caramels spill out of the bottle on the pour. In the glass, the nose is fresh whole grain toast with a light fruit marmalade. Notes of richer caramels emerge from the backgound.

T - Toasting is a bit darker on the tongue. Crunchy toasted barley malts are featured, with soft caramels in the background reminiscent of a decently torched creme-brulee. Hints of orangeish sugars sneak out on the tongue after the swallow. There's noticeable floral/herbal hops in the finish that keep all but the sides of the tongue clean.

M - A touch on the fizzy side, with moderate carbonation. Feels a bit dense and chewy in the mouth. Moderately light body with a comfortable structure. Finish tapers off from the quaff and leans a bit drier than to be expected.

O - This is a quite enjoyable Marzen; definitely one that can be sessioned. The slant toward a bit fuller toasting than is typical for the style really keeps the sugars at bay without turning the beer into a hop-forward brew. While there really isn't anything particularly distinctive, it's the balance and toasting that make this the kind of beer that's a comfortable go-to within the style.

Departs the bottle a clear amber hue, with a small offwhite head. Head and lacing fall away after just a few minutes. Aroma is subdued, with bready malt and fruity and spicy hops. Light bodied and well carbonated in the mouth. Taste is well balanced between a bready maltiness and a subtle fruity and spicy hopiness. Slightly metallic, but finishes clean and refreshing. Solid, if unspectacular.

Pours a copper orange. White creamy head that dissipates rather quick. Good lacing. Smell of citrusy hops, some malt. Taste is malty with quite a bit of bitterness. For me, the bitterness overpowers everything else. Good carbonation. Not my favorite Oktoberfest.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy, orange color, with a half of a finger of a white head, speckled with orange highlights, which dissolved into a thin halo of foam that gripped the sides of the glass and formed a few wispy clouds that settled on top of the beer.

Aroma: Not much in the aroma department, either that or I’m stuffed up. I do get a few, faint notes of malt and caramel, but not much else.

Taste: What the beer lacks in aroma, it more than makes up for in flavor. Lots of malt upfront, followed by some caramel-like sweetness, orange citrus, and finished with some nicely balanced hoppy bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium, with some ok carbonation. Smooth. With an ABV of 5.5%, there is no presence of alcohol on the palate.

Overall: Solid offering from Schlafly. Very tasty beer. I’d certainly get it again, next fall.

DATE TASTED: September 12, 2015 ... GLASSWARE: Sam Adams lager... OCCASION: Licking the wounds of a 6-0 Division 5 soccer drubbing... APPEARANCE: beautifully effervescent copper body with a sudsy, soapy, creamy head that settles neatly to a tangible ring--a picture-perfect start! Lacing is commensurate with its beer level... AROMA: soft caramel and biscuit, with a buttery suggestion; some iron/rust hints as well... PALATE: smooth, almost swift in its attempt to reach the throat; mildly effervescent,despite its appearance; weak aftertaste; definitely sessionable--almost too much so... TASTE: the caramel is the dominant flavor, though it is understated in comparison to other fests; sweet with the suggestion of apple and pear, odd in the style; some metallic Saaz ping to boot--the profile is an odd mashup...OVERALL: After having heard great things about Schlafly, I am surprised by this offering's rather askew taste profile; the body is smooth and enticing, but the payoff is a beefed-up macro rinser...